30.6.08

A long time ago I wrote about will power. I wondered aloud if will power was a myth made up for the masses the same way that humanity as humanist is a myth. To this day I’m not sure of the answer but I do believe that we as individuals have the power to transform ourselves at any time, mentally and intellectually. But how do we do it? What is the characteristic in our characters that allows us to pick a path and traverse it until we get to the other side?

Bruce Lee has been my hero for a long time, and not because he was an ass kicker. I have admired Lee for his perseverance to find his own way, for his ability to maintain machine-like focus, for his physical endurance –gained through hours of hard work and determination. Lee was ubermensch, or superman. Lee excelled in athleticism, the arts, and in intellectual themes. What characteristic did he poses to be able to hone himself into such a finely tuned person? Was it inherent or did he develop such a skill of transformation?

At best I am clumsy in all things. Planning is as far from my character as is goal setting. For years I reasoned that planning and goal setting were ways of settling into the status quo. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that skill only comes through practice and practice works best when planned. So although I recognize this as so, I still fail to put it into practice. Not sure at this point where I’m going with this but my dream is metamorphosis.

Today I walked to the public gardens under the cover of a heavy summer fog and sat under a tree watching the water shimmer with the breeze and ducks swim in a line searching for duck interests. I pictured where and who I’d like to be. The images that came to mind were of writing, island living, surfing, simplicity and physical well being. What would I need to do to get to this idyllic life? I think of the people who sell their lives on Ebay for ridiculous sums of money and the more ridiculous people who buy them. For me it’s not money that inspires me or makes me tick. However, I know that sitting here at this desk day after day, with the same pattern minute by minute, does nothing more than stifle any creativity or sense of adventure that exists within me. Imagine how your life would change if suddenly you had the freedom to pursue your passions without hesitation. And therein lays the question. Why do I hesitate?

3 comments:

I believe no matter what your desired transformation, someone else has led the way. That in itself won't prevent hesitation, but it often provides inspiration and guidance. I've been reading this book called "The Good Life" which is providing me with both inspiration and guidance for a radical transformation. Most of us cannot be as exceptional as Bruce Lee, but we all need those superheroes.

Funny you should bring up this topic. I recently had what Dr. Jung termed a vital spiritual experience. What happens is a cataclysmic shift from the conceptions and emotions that drive us to a totally new set of ideals and reactions. A combination of factors led me to this precise change. I realize a plethora of important ideals that lead to this event, but two seem to have greater magnitude. First, there has been much less demand on my time. I had the gift of freedom to do what I wanted to do. The only problem is I didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I wallowed in a state of existence for existence sake for a long while. But being unencumbered by the strain to find time has been invaluable. Recently multiple avenues of change materialized. I can’t tell you exactly who or what, I’m unable to define them myself in this short jot. What I can tell you is that I was willing and open to change. This is the second and possibly the most essential concept. It hasn’t been a gradual process but an explosion into a new state of consensus. I can’t begin to explain the joy I’ve experienced lately.